Sequel Series to Heero's Peace
by Stella
Summary: Ok, trying this again since the site erased it the first time *grumbles* The final chapter is here! Relena has the baby - and just what were those bad guys up to anyway? There are some surprises - how will the boys save the day? Hope you enjoy ^_^
1. Peace Shattered

Hello Everyone! As requested, here is the first fic in the Sequel Series to Heero's Peace. I know, I know, but I totally could NOT come up with a title, try as I might. There's going to be plenty of action and romance (mostly H & R), SO, without further ado: Enjoy the story! - Stella  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of these characters and so on and so forth, amen.  
  
Part 1 - Peace is Shattered  
  
  
Kingdom of Lowen  
AC 203  
  
Trowa Barton leaned against shuttle hanger wall. He looked from the clock over the door to his own watch, and back to the clear blue sky and field just beyond the window. His apprehension started to get the better of him and pushed himself up, walking outside to wait. 'They should be here by now!' he thought, silently worrying. He and Heero had wasted no time in getting the communication to them that they were all in danger, even the children. Trowa checked the sky again, letting out a sigh of relief as the Winner family shuttle came into view, flanked on either side by a dozen Maguanac mobile suits. The shuttle landed and Trowa made his way out to the landing strip to meet Quatre and his wife and children. "Thank God they escaped," Trowa murmured as the spacecraft's doors opened.  
  
========================================================================  
  
  
"Shhh, here he comes!" Daniel Maxwell whispered to his twin brother Deiter as they hid behind a corner at the end of a long hallway. The boys had been playing hide and seek when they had looked outside and noticed the man in the Preventer uniform entering this part of Lowen palace. They never missed an opportunity to play a prank on him. Daniel stole a quick glance down the hall to confirm the presence of their target, and then flattened himself back against the wall. With a mischievous grin he held out a hand and began to count down on fingers. "Three, two, one!" They jumped out growling and screaming, intending to surprise the unsuspecting soldier, but they were the ones who were surprised. No one was there. The baffled pair of four year olds started to search around the hallway, when all of a sudden a dark shape appeared before them.  
  
"GRRRRRR!!!!!" Both boys nearly jumped out of their skins and took off running in the opposite direction, howling down the corridors. A smug looking Wufei Chang stood in the middle of the hall watching them go, his arms crossed and a faint smile finding its way to his lips. 'Serves them right,' he thought, and continued on his way all the while muttering something about the injustice of the fact that there were two more Maxwells in the world to torment him.  
  
He reached the conference room and sharply opened the door. Heero and Duo were waiting for him, but only Duo lifted his head to acknowledge Wufei's entry. "Sally said you called, and that it was important." Duo didn't answer right away, which led to the hint of irritation in Wufei's voice as he pressed for an answer. "What is it?"  
  
To his surprise it was Heero who answered. "The White Fang's back," he said stiffly, "And we're being targeted, all of us gundam pilots. Quatre was the first, but we got word to him in time. Trowa called and he just landed."  
  
Wufei looked at him in disbelief. "But the Preventers... we've heard nothing."  
  
Heero seemed as though he were ready to strike out at any second. "There was nothing to hear, at least not for the Preventers. This is an inside job - it's someone close to us," he said as he flung a stack of printouts on the table in the direction of a stunned Wufei. He flipped through the papers as Duo picked up where Heero had left off.  
  
"They see us pilots as traitors, since we ended up fighting to save earth. Of course they'll be after Zechs, Noin and Relena, too. It's just that Quatre was the most convenient at the moment. I'm pretty sure they'll save Zechs for the end since he was their leader. But it's someone in the Preventers, we're sure of it." Duo's expression lightened a bit as he cast a glance at Heero. "Whoever they are, they didn't take into consideration that the master hacker is still at large. Those transmissions were only superficially deleted."   
  
"What actions do you intend to take? The gundams?" Wufei asked. "Won't your wife want to try and talk to them?"  
  
"Let's wait for Trowa and Quatre," Heero said coldly. Duo again looked in his direction.  
  
"Man, don't tell me she doesn't know." Heero said nothing, but Duo pressed him. "Heero, it's been five years and you still didn't tell her that we rebuilt all the gundams and built that army of suits? She's gonna find out now! I told you to..."  
  
Heero didn't need Duo giving him advice right now. The fact that he had deceived Relena weighed more heavily on him than the situation they were now facing. He'd decided to build those suits just in case something like this ever happened again. He felt that she didn't need to know. Relena should not be responsible for HIS actions, and she was still the Vice Foreign Minister. Knowledge of the rebuilt suits might force her into compromising situations and he didn't want to do that to her. But yet he knew that this could destroy her trust in him, and it made him revert back to his icy emotionless shell. He had never wanted to hurt her, and he had hoped above all other things that he would never need that army or the gundams, but he'd wanted to have them for safety's sake. After the "Tremen Incident," he didn't want to be caught unprepared. But Heero was about to be caught unprepared in another way. He was shaken out of his thoughts as his wife walked into the conference room.  
  
The sweet expression that she usually wore had retreated and left no trace of itself on her shocked and anguished face. She spoke to Duo, but kept her eyes locked on Heero. "Duo, what did you just say?" Her voice was shaky; her hands were white and trembling. Duo sputtered and made a series of unintelligible grunts and syllables. Heero leaned across the table and took one of her hands.  
  
"Relena, please let me make you understand. I did this for our protection. And that is the same reason that I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to have to lie for me or be answerable to my actions."  
  
"Then it's true," she whispered. She kept her watery eyes locked on his, and for a moment Heero worried that she might faint. But with a sudden show of force she ripped her hand from his, nearly back-handing Wufei.  
  
Heero was unable to mask the look of surprise on his face. "Relena, I'm sorry..."  
  
"You're sorry, Heero?" she said through tears. The venom in her voice was unlike anything he had heard. "Heero, I trusted you. We made a promise to defend our kingdoms together, and you do this without telling me. It's not the first time, either! Did my brother know? Did he?" Heero only nodded an affirmation. "You all knew! And you hid it from me like I was still some child - like I'm not capable of understanding your reasons! I make speeches day in and day out asking people to discard their weapons and my own husband and councilors build an arsenal right under my nose!" They all stood there with their heads bowed as Relena looked wildly at each of them. Through her anger, Heero could see that look about her. Again he watched her heart break right in front of his eyes. There was nothing he could say to her as she started to walk away. She put her hand on the door latch, but turned around to address them all a final time. "So you're going to fight again, too?" No one answered her. "That's what I thought," she said as she stormed out, letting the door slam loudly behind her.   
  
The three men left in the room were silent for a long time until Duo spoke up. Looking at a scowling Heero, he piped up. "That went well." Heero didn't even look at him, he was still trying to grasp what had just happened.   
  
"Shut up, Maxwell," Wufei growled.  
  
================================================================  
  
  
Relena stalked up to her office, barely able to see through the tears. How could they have done this to her? Deceived her and lied over all this time? And Heero? She thought he'd always be the one she could trust - her own husband. Over the last five years she had been hard pressed to see traces of the cold unfeeling soldier she had once known. He had become so affectionate and considerate. Heero laughed and smiled, even joked with Duo once in a while. He had embraced his role as the Prince Regent of Lowen, and together they had united their kingdoms and helped their people recover from the wars. After everything that had happened with Tremen and Heero finding his birthright, and most of all confessing their love for each other... she just couldn't believe this. Relena had never felt so betrayed in all her life.  
  
She plopped down in her chair and covered her face with her hands, but she found that she was too mad to sob. Instead she felt sick, and her stomach lurched so hard that she was afraid that she might lose her breakfast. Maybe subconsciously she knew that this was coming because she'd been feeling sick for weeks now. She took a deep breath and decided to try and distract herself with work. She rummaged through papers and turned to a pile of unopened mail. She sifted through memos and banquet invitations, but it was a letter from her doctor's office that caught her attention. She's made an appointment two weeks ago when she'd started feeling ill. They'd run a bunch of tests and sent her home, telling her that it was probably just a virus that would go away in a few days. She opened the letter and began to read:  
  
"Dear Mrs. Darlian-Lowe,  
  
We are writing concerning your visit to our office about two weeks ago. Due to your hectic schedule we have been unable to get a hold of you otherwise. We just wanted to let you know that all of your test results came back normal, so you needn't worry about your health. However, we did a find a bit of a surprise when we ran an additional test on the blood samples we took from you. From the information you gave us during your office visit and the blood test, Doctor Hale feels that congratulations are in order. It is his opinion that you are about 10 weeks..."  
  
Relena looked up from the letter and froze as she sensed that someone was standing over her. She made a slight movement to get up, the letter still clutched in her hand, when a strong arm grabbed her around the neck as the cold steel barrel of a gun was pressed to her temple. "Scream and you die, Mrs. Vice Foreign Minister," hissed a cold voice.  
  
  
End Part 1  
  
Let me know if you want more (and if you have any title suggestions I'd be eternally grateful). Please, please review!!! Thanks - love to all :)  



	2. Pieces of the Puzzle

Hello Everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the holidays (Christmas is so close!). Here's the next part to the Heero's Peace Sequel. Thanks for all the title suggestions, they were great, but I find that I just can't commit to one. Anyway, they'll be quite a few chapters, and they'll each have a nifty little heading, so... enough of my insipid rambling. Here's the story!   
  
Disclaimer: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way!  
I don't own Gundam Wing so please don't sue me, k?  
(I know, I know... I'm tired and spaced on cold medicine - what can I say?)  
  
  
Part 2 - Pieces of the Puzzle  
  
Heero picked up his pace as he walked through the halls towards Relena's office. He had to make her understand why he and the others had rebuilt the gundams and made the mobile suits. They hadn't done it to be malicious, or deceitful or to hurt her, or for any other reason like that. Heero knew very well why he had done it. The answer was simple: because he loved her and he always wanted to make sure that she was protected. Too many times in the past they had been caught off guard by those who would threaten the peace that they had fought so hard for, and even more precious than that, the lives of the ones that he and his fellow pilots held dear. They just wouldn't let that happen again. Quatre had sent all the materials from the Winner's resource satellites. Trowa and Duo, along with Heero, had overseen the construction and design while Wufei made sure that no one outside their circle would ever find out about the army amassed in a hanger deep below the Lowen airfield. Perhaps he should have told her about their plans, but he'd had his reasons. She was the world's chief advocate for disarmament, and the knowledge that her own husband held an arsenal that could destroy a colony in seconds would put her in an awkward position. He didn't want to make her give up her integrity and lie to protect him, he could never ask that of her. So he decided that she should not know. After all, it was the fervent hope of all of them that those suits and the gundams would never have to be used.  
  
Heero felt his chest tighten as he approached the door. Confrontations with Relena, though they had been few and far between during their marriage, scared him more than all the battles he had ever fought. Combined. And the look she had given him before she'd left the conference room made him think that she might never forgive him. He slowly turned the doorknob, afraid that he had lost the love and trust of the one person who mattered the most to him. Heero took a breath and readied himself for the possibility of more stinging words and heartbreaking looks. He entered the office and froze with bewildered surprise. The room was empty.  
  
  
"Don't turn around. I told you not to look at me! Just walk!" The mysterious soldier pushed the tip of the gun painfully into Relena's back. He had taken her into the bowels of Lowen palace and was marching her through the ancient dark, slippery tunnels that wove their way beneath the city. It was the only way to get out of the palace unnoticed.   
  
'Whoever this man is,' Relena thought, 'he must be familiar with the city.' She obeyed, but walked slowly, trying not to fall as she slid along the slimy cavern. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded, trying to sound strong and commanding, but all the while realizing that no one would know what happened to her at home. For the first time she thought back to the letter from the Dr. Hale's office. "Ten weeks..." 'I'm pregnant,' she thought, placing a hand protectively on her stomach as she trudged along in the darkness. She and Heero knew that they wanted children, but never when. Her work was so time-consuming, and she didn't think that it was fair to bring a child into the world when she had not time to spend with it. As furious and hurt as she was at what Heero had done, she loved him with all her heart and a tear slipped down her cheek at the thought that he might never see their child - or that she may never see him again. The man who was pointing the gun at her seemed as though he'd have no problem pulling the trigger. If he killed her here Heero may never know what happened to her. She had to get out of this! Relena thought of the baby she was carrying, and came to the realization that she was protecting someone else now, not just herself. She had to try talking to this soldier. "Why have you taken me?" she said, questioning him again.  
  
No response came from the man behind her, but Relena pressed him. Perhaps if she could make this man see the pointlessness of violence, he would forget this mission of his. "I asked you why you're doing this," Relena said sharply. "Don't just kidnap me and not tell me why."  
  
"It's not your place to ask the questions," her captor answered in a low, irritated tone. "All you need to know is that your brother, your husband, and the rest of those pitiful gundam pilots are traitors. They were supposed to fight for the colonies, but ended up defending the enemy - the earth! Their actions are inexcusable and they must pay. And you. It was your fault. They were weak soldiers and you tricked them. You made them sympathize with you and the earth, and they abandoned the colonies. I'd kill you right now, but it's against my orders."  
  
There was such hostility in his words that Relena shuddered outwardly as well as inwardly. "I did no such thing," she retorted. "I had no reason to trick them, or deceive them. The gundam pilots fought against injustice, but above all else, they fought to achieve peace in outer space and on earth. We've had peace for over seven years. Why is it not good enough for you?"  
  
The soldier sniffed and gave a bitter chuckle. "The earth continues to milk the colonies of their resources, and use the people as cheap labor. There's no equality - there's no justice."  
  
"That's just not true," Relena replied. "I've worked with representatives from the colonies, and they're perfectly happy with the trade arrangements we've ma-..."   
  
Relena stopped in mid-sentence as she came face to face with four more heavily armed men waiting at the end of the tunnel. Upon seeing her, one of the men quickly grabbed her as another came to help him. With their hands covering her mouth, the group quickly carried her to a small shuttle waiting on one of the outer runways of a deserted airfield. Relena felt hope leave her as she was tied to one of the seats and the shuttle took off, carrying her to outer space before anyone even knew that she was missing.  
  
  
  
But someone did know that Relena had left. In fact, there were two small someones that had seen the man in the black suit and white armband shuffle their "Aunt Lena" down to the basement. They hadn't followed them into the tunnels, though. Instead they ran to find their father, or Uncle Heero or Trowa or anybody. The Maxwell twins may have only been four, but they knew trouble when they saw it.  
  
Heero had searched the bedroom, the courtyard and the gardens, but still no sign of her. The painful thought that maybe she had left gripped him for a few minutes until he checked with the guards and entrance cameras. No one had seen her leave. He was about turn away from the main gate and check the rest of the palace when he saw his own limo pull up. Trowa exited, followed by Quatre who helped his wife Luna out with their two children. Heero looked at the little boy who bounded toward the gate at Trowa's side. Xavier Winner was five, and aside from the mass of black hair that topped his head, he was a miniature version of Quatre. He had all of his father's features - the same eyes and cheekbones, and yes, the same smile. Quatre walked slowly behind Trowa, waiting for Luna, who held their six-month old daughter Anya. The Winners had been visiting one of the family's lunar resource satellites when they had received the urgent warning from Heero and Duo. Quatre had rushed his wife and children back onto the shuttle and left with his guards. The satellite had just finished being evacuated when the bombs exploded. Fortunately it was far enough away from the earth and the colonies. And thankfully, no one had died. Heero stepped outside to greet them, exchanging relieved glances with Trowa as he walked past. "Hiya, Uncle Heero," Xavier piped, smiling Quatre's smile.  
  
"Hello," said Heero, managing a grin through the scowl he had been wearing all day.  
  
"Mama and Dad say we're going to stay here with you for a while. I like the earth. Where are Daniel and Deiter?"  
  
"Probably inside," Heero answered, patting the little boy's coal black hair. "Pagan can help you find them." Xavier trotted off, taking Trowa's hand as he walked through the palace doors. Heero continued down the walkway to the boy's parents. A worried, but grateful looking Quatre met him.  
  
"Heero, there aren't enough words I can say to thank you..." Quatre began, choking with emotion. Luna nodded in agreement with tears in her eyes as she came to his side, cradling her sleeping baby. "Why is this happening?"  
  
"Revenge," Heero said in his perfect soldier tone. "I just wonder why it took them so long." Quatre gave a look betraying that he didn't know either, and Heero turned to usher them inside. They found Duo and Wufei in the main hall talking to Trowa. Hilde was with them and ran over to hug Luna and Quatre with Duo following behind her.  
  
"Come on, we'll get you settled," she said to Luna and started off towards the upstairs.  
  
"I'll be along soon," Quatre assured her. "I need to speak with the others," he said, motioning towards the rest of the men.  
  
As Heero went to have another look at the security station he heard Duo filling Trowa and Quatre in on what happened with Relena. He shook his head and looked down at the floor as he made his way back over to the group. "Have you seen her, Duo?" Heero asked.  
  
"No, not lately. Did you check the office?"  
  
"And everywhere else. Let's take the long way to the conference room; I want to see if she's in there now."  
  
The five men made their way through the halls, stopping the office door. This time they walked all the way in, still finding no trace of Relena. Heero noticed a piece of paper lying on the floor and bent down to pick it up. He began to read when he was interrupted by the sounds of running footsteps and squealing little voices. Daniel and Deiter Maxwell ran into the office, followed by Xavier and a very out of breath Pagan. The boys ran to their father, both talking at once. Duo squatted down so that he was eye level with his sons, and placing a hand on each of their shoulders, bade them calm down and speak one at time.  
  
Deiter started, "Daddy, it's Aunt Lena! A mean man took her down to the basement, in the tunnels!" Heero's eyes grew wide as they fixed on the small boy. He felt cold all over, and the feeling only grew worse as Daniel continued.  
  
"He said he would hurt her if she tried to run away or scream. He's taking her to outer space."  
  
It took a few moments for the shock to wear off, and the four other pilots found themselves looking at Heero, who continued to stare blankly. He fixed his eyes on the letter in his hand, not really reading it. All of this had happened so suddenly, and his Relena was in danger again, stolen away while he was close by. He stared and stared at the letter, just wanting something to focus on. Then he noticed a certain paragraph on the white sheet of paper. He clutched it in his hand and slid to the floor. "Relena," he whispered. Duo walked over to him and knelt down. Heero absently handed Duo the letter, which he read.  
  
"Oh my God," Duo uttered, looking up from the paper. "Don't you worry, buddy," he said to Heero. "We'll get her back."  
  
"Daddy," Daniel added, looking at Duo. "The man looked a lot like Mr. Marius."  
  
"Kahn?..." Trowa muttered askingly, looking every bit as surprised as the others.  
  
End Part 2  
  
  
Author's Note: Ok, if you don't remember who Marius Kahn is, he was the guy who led them through the Lowen tunnels in Heero's Peace. He was General Hydek (the good general's) assistant. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed last time - please do the same! Love, Stella.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Return of Quinze

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Sorry it's taken so long for this chapter to come out, but I'm sure you can imagine how busy I was. Well, better late than never!  
  
Formalities: * Checks under the tree * DRAT! Santa didn't bring me Gundam Wing!  
  
Sequel Series to Heero's Peace - Part 3: The Return of Quinze  
  
  
Relena had lost track of how many hours she had been on that shuttle. Her stomach seemed to lurch every other second. The men who were guarding her had long since untied her so that she could run to the restroom. Her captors were obviously very concerned. They had never seen anyone look so ill in their entire lives. The leader had stressed the importance of the Vice-Foreign Minister being brought to him "unharmed," and frankly, Marius Kahn was afraid she was going to die right there.  
  
"Peter," Marius said to one of his men. "Call ahead to Mission and make sure the doctor is waiting IN the shuttle bay so he can see her immediately." He looked at his prisoner. Her long hair was damp with sweat; her face was ashen and cold to the touch. She'd been unable to eat or drink anything without losing it in five minutes. Now she seemed to be going in and out of consciousness, and if she expired before they reached the base, he knew that it would mean his life as well. Not once had he felt the slightest twinge of guilt in taking her. He hadn't gotten to know her at all in his service to the Lowen Kingdom. Once he learned that Heero Yuy, or Odin Lowe, Jr., had been a gundam pilot, he'd lost all respect for the Prince Regent that had seemingly shown up and found his birthright by accident. All Marius could focus on were those last months before the final battle in which Libra was destroyed and the White Fang's plans thwarted. He had been a a member of the group, and like the rest of the surviving rebels, he saw the gundam pilots as turncoats who had betrayed the colonies by fighting to protect the earth. And Relena. To the White Fang, she was the proverbial "Eve," having fooled the pilots into fighting for her ideals. When word came two years ago that Quinze, though severely injured, had survived the explosion of Libra and was looking to regroup with former White Fang members, Marius had been one of the first to flock to his side. He had no loyalty to the earth, and certainly none to Heero Yuy, no matter how good of a leader he had become. No, his place was fighting for the colonies, no matter what tactics had to be employed.  
  
"Don't inform Quinze of our arrival until you've determined what's wrong with her," Kahn instructed the doctor as he carried Relena to the infirmary. He laid the barely conscious woman on the exam table while the doctor collected the necessary equipment to start and IV and examine her.  
  
"She looks dehydrated, did you give her no food or water?" he asked disapprovingly.  
  
"We offered her plenty. Everything that she ate, uh, well, came back up," Kahn answered uncomfortably.  
  
Relena seemed to be coming around, and the doctor pitied her. He had an idea what was wrong with her and it made him feel even worse. Personally he hadn't agreed with the plans that this organization had made to hold the gundam pilots' wives hostage, but he didn't dare voice his opinion. "Why don't you leave us for a while," he said to Kahn. "I'm pretty sure she'll be fine with some rest and nourishment. Tell Quinze that if he wants to see her, he must check with me first."  
"Quinze will do as he likes," Marius answered sharply, stealing a final glance at the patient as he left.  
  
  
  
Heero blinked at his computer screen. He'd sent Preventer patrols out in every direction searching for the shuttle Relena was on, but no one had anything to report. It had been over 24 hours. Zechs had been informed and had taken the news very hard, at first losing control and blaming Heero, but finally settling on silent rage and blaming himself. Heero understood that feeling, and he could no longer hold it in. After hours of searching and getting nowhere, he slammed the screen down, yanked the cord out of the wall, and promptly picked up the whole works and threw the machine forcefully in the direction of the door, which began to open slowly just as the computer hit it, sending circuit boards and bits of plastic flying around the room. Trowa Barton entered cautiously, his eyes calmly settling on the disheveled Heero who leaned against the opposite wall with his head in his hands. "Heero," Trowa began. Heero looked up, hopeful for news, but that was not why Trowa was there. "Heero, we have to decide whether or not we're going to go public with this situation." Both men were inwardly bothered with the word "situation." Trowa shook it off and continued. "Quatre seems to think it would be best if we did, to ask the colonies and the earth sphere to support us in the fight. We have to let them know about the White Fang and make it clear that this is a threat to everyone." Heero hated the idea, but he knew that Quatre was correct in his thinking. This whole thing was too far-gone for them to be able to keep it quiet.  
  
"Call a conference," Heero said hoarsely. The sooner he got the formalities out of the way, the sooner he could be out there himself actively working to get his Relena back.  
  
  
  
The room was darkened and it was difficult for her to make out where she was. Relena was pretty sure that she was no longer on the shuttle. She heard the sound of shuffling feet and it wasn't long before a friendly face smiled down at her. "You're awake. How are you feeling?"  
  
"I... I'm alright," Relena answered weakly. "Can you please tell me where I am?"  
  
Again, the doctor looked sorrowful. "You're, well, all you need to know is that you're on the White Fang base."  
  
"You're one of them?" she asked, becoming visibly upset.  
  
"In name only," he replied. A moment of silence passed between them. "Do you know how far along you are?" the doctor asked.  
  
Relena looked shocked. He must have done a blood test as well. Her mind seemed to be working so slowly as she tried to think. 'Dr. Hale's letter said 10 weeks, but that was two almost three weeks ago that I'd had the blood test, and he wasn't really certain about that number.' Relena looked up to answer. "Maybe twelve weeks," she said. The doctor regarded her for a few seconds.   
  
"Really? I think you're a bit farther than that. Were you not aware of the pregnancy until recently?"  
  
She shook her head to imply that she hadn't been. "I'm always kind of tired, and my cycles are irregular." She thought for a bit. "I'd just been noticing that my clothes were a little tighter. I figured that I had just gained weight."  
  
"I'd say you're near the end of your fourth month." Sadly, the doctor wondered what Quinze would do with her once he found out that she was pregnant. Very soon it would be noticeable, and he silently prayed that their leader would not seek to punish this woman or her husband by harming the child. His thoughts were interrupted as a pair of men burst through the doors.  
  
"Quinze will see her now," one said in a cold tone. He roughly grabbed for Relena, when the doctor stepped between them.  
  
"I have to remove this needle," he said, irritated. "Quinze can wait one minute." The soldiers were obviously annoyed with the delay, which caused them to treat their prisoner even harsher as they dragged her to her unsteady feet and began to pull her along the corridors. Finally they came to a large room with massive screens and several workstations along the walls. It was obviously the command center. Relena's "escorts" stopped at the base of a landing. A few feet above them, the figure of a man stood staring out at the images of outer space that appeared on the screens. One of the soldiers spoke up.  
  
"Sir, the prisoner."  
  
As the man he was addressing emerged from the shadows and limped his way down the stairs towards them, it was all Relena could do not to cry out. She saw the damaged side of his face first, if one could call it a face. It simply appeared to be a black and red layer of scalded muscle clinging to a cheek and jawbone. The eye was gone, as was his ear and all the hair that had once covered the right side of his face and head. The right arm was missing and his right leg twisted so grotesquely that it made her cringe. His voice was a low rasp when he spoke, as one of the men raced to his side to help support him. He stopped a few steps before the landing, so that he seemed to tower above her. "Welcome, Lady Relena," he said in a mocking tone. Relena tried her best to regain her composure and not be unnerved by the hideous site of him.  
  
"What do you want with me?" she asked, mustering all her courage, trying not to look directly at his disfigurement. He reached out for her and she felt her knees buckle. She did not collapse because the other soldier was still holding onto her. Quinze reached out with his remaining hand and grabbed a fistful of Relena's long blond hair. Painfully he pulled her head back so that she was forced to look right at his face.  
  
"Do you even have to ask? Look at me. You had a part in this, as did your traitorous husband and his fellow pilots, not to mention your brother. You ask what I want. I want the colonies to be free. And aside from that I want revenge."  
  
Relena knew she had to try to talk to this man. She gathered all her nerves and began to speak. "This is not the solution. The gundams fought for peace - peace for everyone. My brother saw the error of his ways." She nervously admitted to herself that this was not going well. She had to soften his heart. All she could think to say was simply, "I am sorry for your pain." Her words seemed to have the reverse effect that she had been hoping for.  
  
"You're sorry!" He laughed and the bitterness in his damaged voice was unmistakable. "Did you hear that?" he said to the soldiers, "She's sorry for my pain." They snickered around him. "Life is pain," he spat as he abruptly released his grip on her hair. "That's what you're going to learn. And here's your first lesson." He turned around. "Barkley, bring up the conference!"  
  
The main screen in the room flickered and the familiar image of Lowen Palace's great hall appeared. The hall was filled with hundreds of representatives, diplomats and reporters. Suddenly Relena saw Heero take the stage, flanked by Quatre and Duo. "Heero..." Relena whispered. Quinze's face gave a twisted smile, distinguishable only on the non-charred side of his face.  
  
He turned to one of the men sitting at a massive control desk. "Let him speak for a minute, then give the snipers the go ahead."  
  
"NOOOOO!" Relena screamed, feeling her legs give way completely.   
  
"YOU will be silent!" Quinze growled at the trembling woman. Then he said in a low voice as one of the soldiers picked her up and forced Relena to look at the screen, "Let the lesson commence."  
  
  
End Part 3  
  
Stella: (drums fingers on desk) Now how can I torture Heero in the next chapter?  
Heero: Haven't you done enough to me, Stella? What have I ever done to you?  
Stella: Two words, pal - Endless Waltz!  
Heero: What? Oh, you're still mad about the ending?  
Stella: Uh, understatement! You just walk away! Disappeared! And Relena... no kiss, no nothing! I can't believe...  
Heero: (while Stella continues to rant in the background) Just let me explain.  
Stella: (still ranting, throws random desk objects) ... no closure!   
Heero: Will you just listen! I have a good reason.   
Stella: (stops in mid-sentence, pencil holder in hand) I would love to hear this.  
Heero: OK. Stella, at the end, when I left, I was only going to the bathroom. I swear I went right back and Relena and I lived happily ever after.  
Stella: You were what?  
Heero: Going to the bathroom. You know - "the Facilities," the "Little Pilots' Room." It's not my fault the movie ended there.  
Stella: (looks bewildered) You're kidding!  
Heero: No. Calm down. Anyway, you wouldn't believe how many cups of coffee I'd had that day. And Relena's speech was taking forever! When you gotta go you gotta go. You have some serious issues, by the way.  
Stella: (smacks her forehead) I'm at a loss for words. I had too many Christmas cookies and way too little sleep. Hope everyone liked this chapter and had a happy holiday!   
  
Keep in mind that I may torture the characters, but I love them. Please review! Love, Stella.  
  
  
  



	4. Resurrection

Hi everyone! Sorry it's taken me forever to get this next chapter out, but things have just been crazy around here lately. However, insomnia has struck again and instead of sitting through some documentary on the mating habits of fruit bats at 3 a.m., I decided to write. Not that fruit bats aren't, uh, well, fascinating, but... Ok, salvaged my train of thought from the mangled wreckage of the derailment. Here's the story.  
  
Disclaimer: As if I have to say it - I don't own Gundam Wing. Maybe the fruit bats do...  
  
Heero's Peace Sequel - Part 4: Resurrection  
  
Relena opened her eyes and for a moment forgot where she was. 'Nothing has changed,' she realized, blinking furiously. She was still alone in the crisp, white room. There were no windows and she no longer had a concept of day or night. If not for the watch that she wore telling her the date, she would have never known how much time had passed. Two weeks. Two weeks since that awful day that Cannes' soldiers had held her in that control room, forcing her to watch as Heero was shot down in the middle of his speech. He had asked the representatives of earth and the colonies for their help and support. He had warned them against the immanent battle, the danger they all faced at the loss of the peace. Before her husband could continue, shots rang out and he stood at the podium, with a cloud of crimson seeping through his white shirt. His eyes dulled and he collapsed, caught by a worried looking Duo and an also wounded Quatre. Relena had no idea if Heero had lived or died because she was dragged from the room and thrown into this one, and here she had stayed since.   
  
At first she wept uncontrollably, consumed by pain and anguished at the thought of losing him. She replayed the events daily in her head, losing control at the memory of the expression on his face as he fell into Duo and Quatre's arms. She was also mercilessly haunted by the fact that the last words she had spoken to him in this world had been full of anger and hurt. If he had died, she prayed that he died knowing how much she loved him, regardless of anything else. But after a while, Relena refused to accept the thought of his death. She felt that she would KNOW with all certainty if her Heero were no longer living; she would feel empty and weak, but as the days wore on she felt stronger. She knew that she had to be strong for the tiny life that grew inside her, the life that was a part of him. Relena rested a hand on her rounding tummy. 'Funny,' she thought. 'Now that I know I'm going to have a baby I can't believe I didn't figure it out before the letter from the doctor's office." The suit she had worn barely fit her now, it seemed as though her baby had grown almost over night.   
  
The door to her room suddenly opened and in walked her only reliable visitor aside from the maid who brought her food and cleaned the room. The doctor had been kind to her since she arrived on the base. The older man had made it clear that he was not here out of any loyalty or devotion to the White Fang's ideals. It seemed to Relena that he was nearly as much of a captive as she was. Dr. Stark, as she had learned he was called, had simply had the misfortune of treating Cannes after he survived the Libra explosion, and that had sealed his fate. The white haired doctor walked briskly to her side, his bushy eyebrows furrowed in thought. "How are we today?" he asked, looking distracted. His features softened as he spoke to her.  
  
"A little queasy, as usual," Relena answered, unconsciously patting her tummy again as she gave the doctor a small smile. She was always so grateful for someone to talk to.  
  
"To be expected," he replied. "Feeling any movement yet?"   
  
She shook her head to imply that she hadn't. "No, not yet." Dr. Stark smiled at her, but he looked very anxious today, Relena noticed, as he continued to mill aimlessly around the room. "What is it, Dr. Sta-...?"  
  
"Shhhh," he hissed, moving to her side, going through the motions of listening to her heart and taking her pulse. As he leaned in with his stethoscope, he began to speak, his voice barely audible as he whispered in her ear. "They would kill me for telling you this, but a woman in your condition shouldn't have to worry so." He stood up for an instant, his eyes darting nervously, and then leaned in to her other ear, placing the stethoscope on her back. "Your husband, he's alive."   
  
She started to say something, but the doctor shook his head. He knew that the room was under surveillance. Relena went limp as relief flooded through her, and the doctor helped ease her back down to the pillows as tears of joy careened down her cheeks. Quite suddenly she felt a funny sensation, a tickling feeling in her abdomen. The baby's first movements! She crossed her arms over her midsection, still dizzy with happiness. Looking down, she placed a hand on her stomach. "You knew all along, didn't you little one?"  
  
  
  
Heero tried to get out of bed yet again, but found himself being pushed back down, easily overpowered by Duo. "I still can't believe this guy!" Duo said in exasperation, wincing as his mind flashed back to the time that Heero had set his own broken leg while they were on the salvage barge all those years ago. "I know you have more lives than all the cats in the Sank Kingdom, buddy, but you need to rest. You're still not supposed to be up." Heero glared at him, but Duo crossed his arms and glared right back. "We're taking care of things." Heero rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. "What was that?" Duo asked, a smile playing across his face. "You're gonna what? Ah, buddy, it's been years since you threatened to kill me. I was beginning to think that you just didn't care anymore," he sniffed. Duo's grin grew wider as Heero looked increasingly annoyed. The braided man put his hand over his heart and fluttered his eyelashes. "I'm touched."  
With that he left the room, leaving Heero to seethe and nurse his wounds. Duo shook his head. If that bullet had hit two inches higher, his friend wouldn't be here. Even still, the shot had severed a major vein and Heero was still very fortunate to be alive. The snipers hadn't been visible until the last minute, and if Trowa and Wufei wouldn't have seen them, they all could have been killed. Only two of the four assassins had managed one shot apiece before they were subdued. Three of them had died, popping cyanide pills, but the forth had been too cowardly to do it. He had been a great source of information. Duo smiled again as he walked along the halls on his way to find Heero's get-well present: The location of Relena and her captors.  
  
  
  
Heero struggled to sit up, breathing hard and trying to ignore the pain shooting through his side. He coughed and sputtered as a result of the effort; trying to remember the last time he'd hurt so much. 'Right after the battle with the Morning Star gundam,' he thought with a groan, shuddering. 'Yeah, definitely.' He had been in and out of consciousness for the past twelve days, going between fitful dreams of the past and nightmarish visions of harm befalling Relena and the baby. He had awakened two days ago, and when the nurse had told him how much time had passed, he would have thrown himself into a rage, if he'd had the strength.  
  
After what seemed to be an eternity (actually about ten minutes), his feet were on the floor and he was testing his legs, trying to stand. Using the bedpost and nightstand to steady himself, Heero began his slow trek across the room, heading towards his desk. A new laptop sat there (since he had destroyed the first one). He flipped up the screen and switched it on, intensifying the look of determination already on his face. He had just started to read the latest Preventer reports when the door to his room began to open again. Figuring that it was Duo, he braced himself for the hard time his friend was going to give him about being up. Instead Quatre's gentle voice greeted him as the blond man walked over to the desk, his arm in a sling from the bullet that he had caught two weeks ago as well. "Heero, you know you shouldn't be up."  
  
"Two weeks, Quatre," was the toneless reply.  
  
Quatre nodded in understanding, glancing at the screen to see what his friend was reading.  
  
"Let me save you some time," he said, pushing his hair away from his face with his good arm. "Relena's being held on one of the new outlying X colonies, just past the L3 cluster. The group has demanded that earth and the colonies sever all ties and treaties, but no one is willing to comply. They've threatened to attack the earth. All the representatives have declared their support for our campaign against the Second White Fang, but we are on our own as far as armaments."  
  
Heero gave a slight nod. "I don't think that will be a problem."  
  
"Trowa's already in L4, trying to assess their firepower so we know what we're up against. Wufei went with him, and they're meeting Zechs and Miss Noin there."  
  
At that, the door opened again and Duo walked in, surprised to find Quatre there. He looked disapprovingly in Heero's direction. Heero ignored the look and, leaning on the desk, once again rose to his feet. "How soon can we leave?"  
  
"You spoiled my surprise, didn't you Quatre?"   
  
"Sorry, Duo," he answered, but quickly turned his attention back to Heero. "Heero, you're in no condition to fight." Obviously that comment didn't sit well, as the injured man started loping toward the door.  
  
"Tell them to get Zero ready," he said flatly, looking in Duo's direction. "I'm on my way, Relena," he whispered.  
  
  
End Part 4  
  
Ok, if you're starting to get bored with this fic, I ask you to please stick with me here. I have plans! There isn't going to be just some cut and dry battle and Heero saves Relena, there will be a few more twists starting in the next chapter or two, so please keep reading!  
As always, my thanks to all of you who are following this story, and even more thanks to those who review. Suggestions are ALWAYS welcome (cursed writer's block!). Love to all, Stella.  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Rescue, Phase I

I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to post this next chapter. It would have been up yesterday, but my crazy cats had a standoff on my computer desk and I don't know what they hit, but I couldn't get my work back no matter how hard I tried. Anyway, I'll apologize in advance for the cliff-hanger (you all know that's my standard MO anyway). I promise not to take so long to write the next part. So, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't... Own... Gundam... Wing...  
  
  
Heero's Peace Sequel - Part 5: The Rescue, Phase I  
  
  
  
"Trowa, is that you?" Lucrezia Noin's eyes were wide with amusement as well as shock as she beheld the gundam pilot's image on the screen. His long, unruly bangs had been sheared away, and the remaining hair had been bleached even lighter than Quatre's. His green eyes were the only aspect of him that seemed familiar - that and who else would be calling right now?  
  
"There was less of a chance that I would be recognized this way," he said lowly. Though he had not been in the public eye very much, he knew that there was a chance that he would be identified as one of the gundam pilots or a member of the Sank/Lowen Council. "This channel is only secure for 35 more seconds. I'm transmitting the White Fang base coordinates to you right now, as well as rendezvous point for you, and for Heero. He will contact you shortly."  
  
Noin checked to make sure the information was coming through. "Got it. We'll see you in one hour." Trowa was about to end the communication when Noin spoke up again. Despite the fact that they were running short on time she had to ask him. "Have you seen Relena?"  
  
He nodded. "They haven't harmed her; she's alright. You can tell Heero and Zechs that, too." At that the screen went blank.  
  
**THE PREVIOUS NIGHT**  
  
The silence in her room was broken by the sound of the door opening. Ever so slowly a small stream of light crept in, interrupting the darkness only slightly as a slim figure made his way stealthily inside and closed the door again behind him. His eyes were trained on the form lying on the bed across the room. He could see that she was awake and probably straining to make out the identity of the "intruder." To be sure that she would not be frightened, he whispered, "I won't hurt you. Just stay where you are." Quietly, with the lightness of foot of an acrobat, he arrived at her bedside. Crouching down so that his face was level with hers, he spoke again in a whisper. "I've rigged the cameras in this room to repeat footage for one hour tomorrow. At 10 o'clock I want you to get back into bed like you're taking a nap and stay there. That footage will rewind and repeat again. We'll come for you at 11."  
  
Relena's eyes betrayed her momentary confusion. 'The voice, the manner - so familiar.' "Trowa?" she asked, hope flooding through her as she recognized him. The man by her bed nodded, but quickly held his hand to her mouth so that she would not speak any further.   
  
"I only have a little time before the cameras start picking up again right now. I will be back in nine hours, with Heero." He exited the room just as quietly as he had come in. No sooner had the door shut then she heard the click of the surveillance camera as it once again began to monitor the room. It took Relena a moment to realize that she was still holding her breath. Letting out a loud gasp she retreated back to the pillows to rest her dizzy head.  
  
'He's coming for me... no, for us,' she corrected herself, patting her tummy. Even after all the angry words she had spoken to him, he was still on his way to rescue her. "Heero..." A twinge of hurt still resided in her heart due to the deception regarding the mobile suits, but as she had nothing else to do all day but think for the last few weeks, Relena had forced herself to see things from Heero's perspective. She decided she knew him better than that. Heero would never hurt her willingly. And this, wasn't this situation with the White Fang the very thing that he had been preparing for? Relena understood that peace had to be protected. She had experienced that revelation a long while ago, during the Mariemaia incident. Yet at the same time, she hated the fact that the responsibility for defending this peace always seemed to fall on the shoulders of a certain group of five men, most especially her husband. Since the first day she had met Heero, she couldn't bear life without him. He had come back from the dead for her yet again, and she would welcome him with open arms. "I love you," she whispered out loud. So she waited through another seemingly eternal night, staring up at the ceiling remembering the past.  
  
  
**The Following Morning**  
  
"Is the transport ship secured? I want to be sure that Zero's in there with us in case things take a turn for the worse." Heero winced again at the pain in his side. Flying through the night had done nothing to help it, that was for sure.  
  
"Everything's been taken care of. Trowa will meet us just outside the L3 cluster in ten minutes. He's been at the base for the past week working as a technician. By the way, you should see his hair," Lucrezia added with a smirk. "Heero, he said that Relena is fine. She'll be waiting for you." Noin watched as the features of his hard-set face softened at that news. Just then she was struck by the unhealthy shade and pallor of his skin as his image flickered on her monitor. "Heero, are you alright? You really don't look well. We can handle this if-"  
  
Noin was cut of by his brusque reply, as he spoke through clenched teeth. "I'm going in there and I won't come back without her."   
  
'I should've known better,' she thought to herself. It had been all Lucrezia could do to keep Zechs at bay for the last two weeks as well. He had demanded to be the one to go and rescue his sister, but Noin had feared that he would be too easily recognized. Knowing that their presence endangered everyone on the Terraformation Project, they had left at once as not to make the entire planet of Mars a target for the White Fang. Zechs was eager to face Quinze and subdue him once and for all. He had been making adjustments to the mobile suits they carried for the last few hours, so Noin was a bit surprised to hear the sound of footfalls behind her. Zechs had entered the main cabin. He leaned over her shoulder to glare at the man on the monitor.  
  
"Zechs." Heero said, greeting him flatly. The blond man only stared back. Noin watched their little standoff knowing that Zechs blamed himself for this situation even more than he blamed Heero. Not that he would ever show it.  
  
"How far off are you?" Zechs all but growled.  
  
"You should pick me up on your scanner any second now." No sooner had Heero finished the sentence then the ship's sensor bleeped to indicate the Wing Zero's approach.  
  
"Trowa's here," Noin chimed in, surveying the shuttle floating alongside her own small ship. From off in the distance she could see the gleaming streak of Zero streaming through space. Noin opened a communication channel to Trowa and Heero, and turned to Zechs. "The Preventers are stationed at intervals surrounding the L3 cluster. They will move in to destroy the base once you're clear."  
  
"Roger that," was the response from both pilots. Trowa opened the shuttle's bay doors as Heero came into view. He maneuvered Zero inside, bringing the massive suit to a halt just in time. Painfully he made his way down from the cockpit to the front of the ship where he found Trowa busily securing another communication line. "Quatre, this is Trowa. Quatre, are you there?"  
  
"Go ahead, Trowa," was the response.  
  
"Before I left the base this morning, I learned that the enemy is stationed on earth and is planning to attack the Lowen and Sank Kingdoms. There is reason to believe the leader has left the base. I have no further information. Be on guard."  
  
"We will, thank you, Trowa. Call us as soon as you have Relena." The screen darkened and Trowa turned around to greet his friend. He also noted Heero's dead-pale appearance, but said nothing about it, knowing Heero too well. Instead he gathered up a plain looking space suit and handed it to him.  
  
"Put this on, you'll attract less attention if you're dressed like the rest of us." Heero only nodded as he stood face to face with the other pilot.  
  
Picking up the suit that Trowa had handed him, a familiar intense gleam came to his eyes. "Let's go."  
  
Trowa started the engines and they roared in the direction of the base. Heero let out a grunt as he peeled his suit of to change into the other one. Blood was soaking through the bandages, and he knew that was not a good sign. The pressure changes his body had undergone from going to space may have damaged the repaired blood vessel, but it was of little consequence now, he told himself. Instead he wondered if Relena would even be happy to see him when he arrived there. Certainly she would be glad to be out of the base, but what about after the fact. Had she forgiven him? Heero shook his head at the insecurities that raced through his mind. He had to focus on the mission.  
  
"Supply barge number 554 requesting permission to dock. Over." Trowa's voice and demeanor was placid as always.  
  
"Enter your code, 554," was the reply from the base. Trowa's fingers flew across the keyboard, and moments later base gave the go ahead to dock. Attendants surrounded the shuttle as Trowa killed the engines.  
  
"We'll unload this cargo ourselves. It's very sensitive freight," he told them.   
  
The trio of attendants shrugged. "Suit yourself," and they turned away. Heero surveyed the docking bay. Only a few men stood around as a handful of shuttles and ships came and went. They had reasoned that an escape during the day would attract less attention then attempting to dock in a quiet deserted bay in the middle of the night while the base was more heavily guarded. Hopefully they could slip out unnoticed. He glanced at a clock on the wall...  
  
'10:55,' Relena noted, peeking at her watch as she positioned her wrist on the pillow. She lay as still as possible, trying not to make any monumental movements that might be noticed an hour later. She closed her eyes again and waited for the security camera to click off. 'Odd that Dr. Stark hadn't been to see me for the last few days,' she thought. She would have liked to see him one last time, and would have liked even more to help him escape as well. Keeping still became more and more of a challenge as her mind raced with worry for Heero and Trowa. Finally, she heard the camera click off and she sat up in bed, staring intently at the door. She was distracted for a moment by more fluttery movements in her abdomen - the baby had been very active all morning. She looked down and smiled at her rounding tummy, but snapped her head right back up again as two men entered the room. Could it be?  
  
One of them stepped forward and removed his helmet in one fluid movement, and fixed his blue eyes on her. "Heero!"   
  
End Part 5  
  
Heero: Aren't you done tormenting me yet, Stella?  
Stella: Let me think... Hmmmm... NO!  
Heero: You're not still mad about Endless Waltz, are you? We went through that! Remember... "Little Pilot's Room?"  
Stella: Right, whatever you say... Maybe I just like torturing you! (evil grin) But I might go easy on you if you do something for me.  
Heero: What?  
Stella: Teach me the Death Glare!  
Wufei: (from the background) Don't do it, Yuy! It's a registered trademark!  
Stella: Stay out of this, Chang! *points to her Wufei figurine * Don't make me go through my parents' attic and find my sister's doll clothes. There's a pink frilly dress with your name on it!  
Wufei: Injustice!  
Stella: And matching shoes and a purse!  
Everyone: (gasp!)  
Wufei: Crazy Onna! (faints)  
Stella: Oh, come on, Heero! Or do I have to put you in a pink frilly dress, too? (points at Heero figurine and looks around for Bandai's lawyers)   
Quatre: I like pink!  
Wufei: (wakes up) You would!  
Quatre: What's that supposed to mean?  
Heero: Stella, why don't you torture Duo instead?  
Duo: Hey!  
Stella: Ok, this is getting out of hand as usual. So, back to the story, how will Heero and Trowa get Relena out of the base?  
Trowa: Yeah, how are we going to do that?  
Stella: And what's going to happen in Lowen? And will Heero make it - he's hurt pretty badly...  
Heero: *pouts *  
Stella: Thanks for reading, everyone! Please review. The next part will come soon!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Rescue, Phase II

  
  
Hey There, everyone! I've only been trying to finish this chapter for a week now. FINALLY!!! I know that I stopped at a horrible place last time, so I hope this makes up for it - there's lots of action in this chapter. Sorry for the wait! Please enjoy! Oh, and to all of you who asked: Yes, there will be a sequel to "All Day Long." With any luck I'll post it this weekend. Oh, and how can I forget! A special thanks to Kristine and Luvspook for all the inspiration. You two are the best!  
  
Disclaimer: This whole disclaimer thing is getting so old by now. We all now I don't own Gundam Wing!  
  
  
Heero's Peace Sequel - Part 6: The Rescue, Phase II  
  
  
Relena sprang up from the bed to run to him, but her pace slowed and she stopped just a few feet in front of her husband. As Relena drew nearer, she realized that he was leaning on Trowa and barely standing on his own. Heero smiled weekly at her, glad to see that she was safe, but his expression changed to one of pain when he let go of Trowa's shoulder and made an attempt to straighten his posture in order to stand on his own. Once he steadied himself, Heero reached out for his wife, and she took a step closer, allowing herself to be enfolded in his waiting arms. His embrace was unusually weak, and Relena could feel the difference as his normally strong and sturdy body was giving way to tremors and his breath came out in gasps. As she rested her cheek against his, she noticed that it was cold and clammy against her own, and she pushed away so that she could look at him. He was pale. Very pale. She placed a hand on his icy forehead and her eyes only widened, denoting more concern. "Heero, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Giving Heero no time to answer, she looked past him to the other pilot, " Trowa, what happened?" But it was Heero who answered.  
  
"I'm alright. It's not important." He put a hand over the wounded area, trying not to double over from the sharp pang rising in his side. He recovered after a moment, his face betraying very little of the torment his body was going through. Instead, he looked directly at Relena. Leaning down, he kissed her gently, and whispered, "I'll be fine. We need to get out of here."  
  
Although she had been thinking of little else for the past few hours other than getting out this room, she seemed to forget the last part of what Heero had just said. "You," she said in her most authoritative Vice-Foreign Minister voice, "are not 'fine.'" Heero felt a wave of exasperation shoot through him, paralleling the pain, and he knew he had to take control of the situation. 'She can be so stubborn!' he thought to himself.  
  
"Relena, we don't have time for this now," he said, looking down at her sternly, trying his best to sound as strong as he wanted her to believe he was. Of course she knew that he was right, and surrendered for the time being. Still, she eyed him worriedly and looked thoroughly unconvinced. Trowa sidestepped Heero and handed Relena a large, bulky space suit that looked very much like his own.   
  
"Put this on, Relena," Trowa said kindly. Then he turned to Heero. "I'm going back to the bay to get the ship ready."   
  
"Right," Heero nodded as Trowa turned to leave. Looking at Relena, Heero added, "We'll be there in five minutes." With that Trowa left the room and Relena took off her jacket and began to pull the space suit over the rest of her clothing. Heero watched her she dressed, noticing how the buttons of her un-tucked blouse were straining around her mid-section. 'She really is having a baby,' he thought to himself. 'Our baby.' A slight smile crossed his face, obliterating his previously sour expression. Relena must have seen the change and known what he was thinking, because she smiled back, giving her tummy a quick pat before she fastened the suit to hide it. She made her way back over to him and he helped her tuck her long hair into helmet as she placed it over her head. Heero fastened his as well and took a deep breath, willing himself to make it to the shuttle bay.  
  
  
***  
Trowa froze right before the entrance to the bay. This was not good. He never should have left their transport alone, and he could have stayed if he were sure that Heero wouldn't collapse on his way to Relena's room. Possible plans and tactics raced through his head as he silently watched the three nosy attendants unloading the cargo hold of the shuttle. Perhaps there was still time. If he could get them away from there before they saw Zero... Too late. "No longer an option," Trowa said to himself, stepping back as suddenly the attendants started shouting for everyone in the bay to come and see what was in the hold. In a split second, the unmistakable noise of an alarm being sounded echoed through the base. Trowa quickly replaced his helmet and did his best to blend in to the surroundings while staying close to the ship. "Hurry up, Heero."  
  
***  
The alarm was deafening as they moved through the hallway. "Heero, what is it?" Relena asked, her voice barely audible through the helmet.  
  
"I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling it isn't good." Heero's feeling was confirmed as a group of armed men ran past them towards the shuttle bay. 'Please don't let them have Trowa,' Heero silently pleaded. He was finding it hard to keep on walking, and he wanted more than anything to pick up the pace, but try as he might, he could not go any faster. Heero could feel the blood flowing beneath the layers of his suit; the feeling of warm liquid coursing its way down his side. Still he kept moving.  
  
Trowa saw them from the end of the corridor. 'He can barely walk.' Returning his attention to the action going on in the shuttle bay, Trowa waited for his chance. He had to create enough of a diversion so that Heero and Relena could make it onto the transport. With the knowledge that his two companions were not far off, Trowa did the only thing he could think of. He took off his helmet and walked nonchalantly over to the ship. The crowd had dispersed for the most part as everyone was dispatched to search the base for intruders. 'How long till they notice Relena's room is empty?' he wondered as he made his way across the floor. Two men had been assigned to guarding the cargo while the remaining soldiers canvassed the compound. "What do you have there, fellas?" Trowa asked, doing his best to seem as though he had no idea what was in that hold.  
  
"What, didn't you hear the alarm? You deaf or something? That's a GUNDAM in there! Intruders in the base!" The guard said this almost as though he were proud of it. The man was apparently middle-aged with a sizable potbelly and a greasy mustache over his thin lips. He smiled a yellow-toothed smile, looking down at Trowa. "You ever seen one of these, sonny?"  
  
Trowa fought off the momentary urge to laugh, and widened his eyes, trying to look intrigued. "No, a gundam... really?" He stepped farther into the cargo hold, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Zero.   
  
The second guard, a much younger recruit with a red face and short black hair, stood in his way.  
  
"Captain's orders. No one touches this," he said, puffing out his chest as he pointed over his shoulder at Zero.  
  
"Oh, come on Bixler," the older man croaked. "If the kid wants to see a gundam, let him look. It's not like he can do anything with it."  
  
"But, Dooly! The captain said..."  
  
"Oh, Captain What's-His-Name has bigger problems right now. These things are legends," Dooly said reverently.  
  
Bixler, looking annoyed, stepped aside. Trowa poked around, pointing out particular aspects of the machine to the astonished guards.  
  
"For never seein' one of these you sure know a lot about 'em," Dooly drawled.  
  
"You could say they're a point of interest for me," Trowa said before climbing into the cockpit.   
  
"Hey, you shouldn't be in there!" Bixler cried, running over. A look of horror overtook his face as Zero's green eyes flickered. His face got even redder, if that was possible, and he pointed up at Trowa. "I know you. You're #554."  
  
"Well, not really," was Trowa's reply as he closed the hatch and watched Dooly and Bixler run out of the hold at top speed.  
  
***  
  
Heero looked at Relena as they stood by the doorway. "Trowa started up Zero. We've got to run for it - now!" As they started off, Heero was dragging Relena behind him, but in no time it was she that was running out ahead of him. They were about three quarters of the way to the ship when she turned around to see Heero doubled over, looking ready to collapse. Relena stopped and ran back to him.  
  
"Heero! What is it?" He was breathing heavily, well, more like wheezing. He looked up at her, his features contorted from the pain.  
  
"Go! Get to the ship. Trowa will get you out of here! Go!" He could barely get the words out. Relena turned around to see a flood of troops entering the bay. They had found out she was missing and had heard all the commotion from Zero's engines.  
  
"Not without you," she told him. She lifted his head so that he was looking at her. "I thought I'd lost a few weeks ago. I won't lose you now." She put his arm around her shoulders and helped him to his feet. He began to protest, saying something about hurting her or the baby. Relena cast a glance behind her as members of the White Fang started closing in on them, raising rifles and handguns. Their weapons clattered to the ground when they caught sight of Zero looming over them. "This baby needs it's father," she said to Heero as she helped him to the shuttle. "I could never leave you behind."  
  
Heero sat down at the console and started the engines. The bay doors were already open and he maneuvered the ship out of the base, followed by Trowa in Zero. They hadn't gotten far when enemy suits flew out behind them. The ship jolted fiercely, having taken a hit, but Trowa made short work of the rest of the suits. It was not long before he appeared on the ship's monitor. "The Preventers are coming in. Judging from the number of suits, it's safe to say the enemy has moved most if their weapons to the earth. We'd better get back there. I'm docking Zero." Hearing the sound of the shuttle's cargo doors open, Relena looked over at Heero, sighing in relief. The sigh was caught in her throat. Heero was slumped over the control panel, not moving.   
  
"Heero? Heero!" Relena jumped out of her seat and ran to his side. She eased him to the floor and removed his helmet. Seeing the bluish tinge around his lips she knew he was barely breathing. She unzipped his suit only to find that the clothes he wore underneath were soaked in blood, which was already pooling beside them in a thick red puddle. Trowa entered the room and Relena all but screamed for him to call Sally. "Heero, can you hear me? Open your eyes, please, Heero!" Relena pushed his hair away from his damp forehead and held him. His eyes fluttered open and he began to speak in a barely audible whisper.  
  
"Do you forgive me?" He asked quietly, rasping out the words.  
  
"F-forgive you? For what, Heero?" Relena asked desperately.  
  
"The gundams - do you forgive me? Do you understand why I...?"  
  
"Yes!" She cried out. Fighting back tears, Relena looked into Heero's half-closed eyes. The last thing he heard her say was, "Heero, there is nothing to forgive." Then the darkness overtook him.  
  
End Part 6   
  
***  
  
Heero: That's it?! So what happens to me?  
Stella: Be nice and I MIGHT just let you live, but I'm not going to say...  
Wufei: You dishonor yourself, woman. Cliff-hangers are injustice!  
Stella: You're just mad because you weren't in this chapter.  
Wufei: I certainly am not!  
Stella: Too late! * Rummages around in the attic and comes back waving a pink frilly dress and hat triumphantly *  
Wufei: NOOOO!!!  
Stella: Now that ought to fix your little red wagon!  
Quatre: * Looks at Wufei* Calm down. By the way, that's a lovely shade of pink - and the hat is rather...  
Wufei: Silence! I'll show you where you can put this hat! *Tries to lunge towards Quatre, but can't move * Hey, I'm stuck!  
Stella: Oh, yeah. Well, you see, all you figurines kept diving off the top of the monitor, so Kevin got a little bit of that tacky putty and stuck you all in place! *evil grin *   
Duo: What do you mean 'stuck us all in place?'  
Stella: We had to do it! Trowa fell down behind the desk at least a half a dozen times yesterday, and the cats kept trying to chew his bangs off while he was on the floor. Look at them down there, circling like sharks (cue the theme music from JAWS), just waiting for one of you to drop! They're crazy I tell you!  
Trowa: Yeah, I'm used to dealing with lions and all, but those two are pretty vicious!  
Stella: * grumbles * I swear they ate paint chips as kittens or something.  
Heero: We don't want to hear about your evil cats! Get back to the story. *glares *  
Stella: Hey, don't look at me like that! You still have to teach me that glare, by the way.  
Wufei: But it's a...  
Stella: Don't even say it! That's quite enough craziness for now *shakes head *. Thank you all for reading chapter 6! I have another two to go, I believe, and then Heero's Peace will be laid to rest. All the same, thanks as always for reading. Please let me know what you think - suggestions are always appreciated, too! Love, Stella.  



	7. Beginning of the End

Hi everybody! Here's part 7 - it's a miracle that I managed to get it finished. I hope this makes up for the evil cliffhanger in Part 6 * smiles innocently*. Oh, and I fixed the whole Cannes/Quinze thing (yes, I know it's about time) - thanks to all who set me straight and to all of you for putting up with me. Love to everyone!  
  
Disclaimer - Do I have to say it again? Ok, I don't own Gundam Wing. There!  
  
Just to remind you all where we left off last time...  
  
"Heero? Heero!" Relena jumped out of her seat and ran to his side. She eased him to the floor and removed his helmet. Seeing the bluish tinge around his lips she knew he was barely breathing. She unzipped his suit only to find that the clothes he wore underneath were soaked in blood, which was already pooling beside them in a thick red puddle. Trowa entered the room and Relena all but screamed for him to call Sally. "Heero, can you hear me? Open your eyes, please, Heero!" Relena pushed his hair away from his damp forehead and held him. His eyes fluttered open and he began to speak in a barely audible whisper.  
  
"Do you forgive me?" He asked quietly, rasping out the words.  
  
"F-forgive you? For what, Heero?" Relena asked desperately.  
  
"The gundams - do you forgive me? Do you understand why I...?"  
  
"Yes!" She cried out. Fighting back tears, Relena looked into Heero's half-closed eyes. The last thing he heard her say was, "Heero, there is nothing to forgive." Then the darkness overtook him.  
  
  
**Three Months Later...**  
  
The fragrance from the multitudes of flowers hung in the humid air of the sweltering summer afternoon. Relena shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another as she took a step back from a very large arrangement. The odor emanating from the bouquet was so sickly-sweet that she wasn't altogether sure if the lurching in her stomach was strictly due to the movements of her unborn child. She sighed heavily and turned around when Duo laid a hand on her arm. He could see that she had been crying, but he couldn't think of anything to tell her in the way of comfort. They were all grieving, and there was nothing he could say that would change that fact.   
  
Duo raised his violet eyes skyward while he led Relena across the Lowen Palace grounds to the garden where the service was being held. The sun was blaring down relentlessly on all the mourners gathered for the funeral, and many of those who had congregated to pay their respects were flushed and tired looking after only a few minutes. "Are you sure you can make it?" Duo asked as Relena huffed down the walkway toward a row of chairs.  
  
"I'm sure," she replied quietly, eyeing the casket that stood before them, draped in even more flowers and the brightly colored banners of the Sank and Lowen Kingdoms. Duo regarded it as well, and spoke his thoughts aloud.  
  
"Would he have wanted all this fuss?"  
  
Relena looked even more stricken for a moment, but eventually managed to muster an authoritative voice. "It's a state funeral for a high-ranking official," she stated, trying to sound stoic despite her emotions. "Anything less would be inappropriate." Relena choked on the last word. Duo accepted her reply and helped her into a seat next to where Hilde was already waiting with their sons Daniel and Deiter. Hilde glanced up at him solemnly before turning to Relena.  
  
He heard Hilde ask her, "Are you feeling ok?" as he made his way past the casket to join his fellow former pilots, who would be serving as the pall bearers. Quatre looked up as his friend approached.  
  
"How is she doing?"   
  
"Seems to be all right for now. Hilde was worried about her being out in this heat for so long since she's so close to her due date."  
  
Quatre nodded in agreement. "Luna said the same thing."  
  
"But you know Relena - she insisted on being here. She wanted to say good-bye with the rest of us," Duo added. Glancing sadly at the coffin beside them, he let out a long breath. "He'd sort of become like a father to us; you know. It was nice - most of us don't remember our parents... especially Heero, and since George knew his father and mother so well. Poor guy's taking this pretty hard, though he'd never say anything." Trowa cleared his throat as a subtle signal to Duo that he best shut up, as Heero had just joined them.   
  
He walked slowly towards the group, dressed in all the formal regalia befitting the Prince Regent of the Lowen and Sank Kingdoms. Colored cords were draped around the shoulders of his crisp white suit; medallions hung from ribbons on his jacket and over the sash across his chest embroidered with the lion of the Lowe family. In contrast to his lively wardrobe, his face was pale, blank and expressionless. Heero barely acknowledged his comrades before he scanned the crowd methodically, checking for the uniformed Preventers and guards that he had ordered posted for the ceremony. Relena sat only a few feet away from where he stood, and though he showed no signs of the worry churning inside him, Heero hated the fact that she was more than an arm's length away. When he was satisfied with the security, he gave a nod to the pastor, who began the funeral service for High Councilor General George Hydek, who had been killed in a surprise attack staged by the White Fang along the Lowen border six days ago. As he listened to the prayers and psalms, Heero replayed the events of the past three months in his mind.  
  
**Flashback**  
  
He awoke in a darkened room to the sounds of monitors beeping and humming. It took quite some time for him to focus, but the first thing he saw clearly was the long cascade of golden hair hanging over her face while she slept in a chair beside the bed. An arm protectively encircled her rounding belly while the other rested on the bed, her hand holding onto his. Heero tried to sit up, but the pain in his side was so severe that he sunk back down into the pillows after only a few seconds of effort. The movement had been enough to rouse her, and Relena began to stir, pushing away the unruly strands before her eyes met his. "Heero..." she breathed, getting up from the chair to be closer to him, though she never let go of his hand. She sat down on the bed, tracing her finger over his forehead and down his cheek; smiling as it came to rest on his lips, which she promptly kissed.  
  
"I thought you were going to sleep all the way back to earth!" she said cheerily, though Heero knew her well enough to know that the happy tone was forced over her urge to burst into tears. She knew he hated it when she cried, especially over him.  
  
"How long have I...?"  
  
"Two days," was the answer, but it didn't come from Relena. Sally Po had entered the room, flanked by Zechs and Noin. Zechs looked somewhat less fierce than he had the last time Heero had seen him. And Noin knew, though he would be loathe to admit it, Heero's brother-in-law was greatly relieved that he was going to make a full recovery.  
  
"Hey, Heero," Sally smiled. Heero only looked up in reply. "You had us worried there for a little while - but I think I managed to patch you up... almost as good as new, in fact." With that comment a bit of wry grin began to cross her patient's face, but it was quickly replaced by look of pain as he winced while he once again attempted to sit up. Sally simply pushed him back. "Oh no you don't. Bed rest, for at least a month - do you hear me? You almost killed yoursel-" She stopped short, seeing the worried look on Relena's face. "Anyway," Sally continued, having thought out a better way to put things, "You and your wife have been through far too much for your present conditions. You both need plenty of rest, and I've let Duo know 'the doctor's orders,' and he'll be strictly enforcing them." Relena stifled a giggle as she heard her husband groan at that statement. Duo could be relentless when it came to things like this. Sally patted Heero on the shoulder and left the room. Zechs was left towering over the bedside with Noin and Relena beside him.  
  
Heero recognized the look on his brother-in-law's face as one that meant business. It was   
one of the things he liked most about Zechs - there was no fooling around. "What's the  
status on the location of the enemy on earth?" was Heero's question. Zechs had been   
prepared.   
  
"There have been reports of carriers landing on an abandoned air strip between Lowen and Sank - they go back a couple of days. No confirmed sightings of mobile suits, though. I know Quinze. He's going to lay low for a while and then try to surprise us. He needs time to recoup - losing his base on the colony where Relena was held was a major blow to his resources."  
  
Heero nodded, processing the information he was just given. "Where are the others now?"  
  
Noin took a step closer as she began to speak. "Trowa's already on earth. He took Zero back so that they could begin repairs. Duo and Quatre are rounding up pilots for the other mobile suits you have stored in the hanger, and Wufei's out on patrol ahead of us. We'll be back on the earth in about two hours."  
  
  
  
A nervous tension carried through Lowen palace for the next three months. There was no sign of the enemy - all leads had turned to dead ends, all re-con and information gathering missions proved fruitless. If Heero hadn't known better, he would have thought that perhaps Quinze had abandoned the whole plot and headed back to space. But Heero never let himself believe that.  
  
In the mean time, recovering had proved to be a maddening experience, as anytime he tried to leave the bed for more than five minutes, he was chased down and corralled back in by Duo. Relena had been ordered to rest as well, so they lay there, the two of them, with Heero typing furiously away at his laptop, or waking up underneath a pile of Relena's paperwork (she tended to use him as a filing cabinet when he was asleep). But sometimes, between reading reports or Preventer mission logs, Heero would take a moment and just stare at his wife in wonder. He was grateful that she was here with him, where she belonged. He watched in awe as the child growing inside her began to move - often falling asleep with his hand on her stomach to feel their baby's kicks and jabs. Heero hadn't grown up with any family to speak of. All that he knew of his mother and father had come from George Hydek, who had been as close to Odin Lowe, Sr. as a brother. Many a night had been spent with George regaling Heero, Relena and the others about one exploit or another he had shared with Odin. The latest of these tales had been centered around how edgy the older Lowe had been when he was about to become a father. Heero had had his own bouts with apprehension, but somehow, being back here in the place where he was born was a comfort to him and any nervousness he felt at the prospect of becoming a father ebbed away as time wore on. But the nervousness over the White Fang's plans for Lowen and the Sank Kingdom did not.  
  
  
  
George had insisted on going himself, citing that if Relena went into labor, Heero might miss the birth of his child if he were away to check out an enemy mobile suit sighting at the border. Wufei and Trowa had offered to go, but Hydek stated that they would be needed to pilot the gundams if an attack was launched within the kingdom. The pilots all agreed, and last week, when George had made his way to the border, a half dozen suits showed up without warning and destroyed the guard posts, and everyone in them, before reinforcements arrived.   
  
"Amen."  
  
Heero snapped back into the present. Moving in line with Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei and Zechs, they lifted the casket from its place on the riser and carried it across the rolling grounds of Lowen Palace, to the Lowe family crypt where General Hydek was laid to rest.  
No sooner had the heavy wooden doors been closed then the sirens sounded. The familiar noise of mobile suit engines filled the air as a dozen suits, seemingly coming out of nowhere, descended from the sky like locusts. People were running in all directions, screaming and fleeing in search of cover. Heero rushed out into the courtyard and looked around frantically, his eyes searching through the chaos that surrounded him. There was no sign of her.  
  
"RELENA!!!"  
  
End Part 7  
  
Please don't hate me! *Ducks under desk as weapons are drawn* The last part will be out soon, I swear! I hope you enjoyed this chapter though - thanks so much for reading and please review! Love, Stella  
  
  



	8. Finale, Part I

Hey everybody! I know it's been weeks and weeks and I am SO SORRY! I have a halfway decent excuse this time (I was REALLY REALLY sick and had to go to the hospital and all that not-so-fun stuff). But, I'm feeling better now and back to tormenting my favorite pilots **evil laughter**. Anyways, this is NOT the last chapter. It's going to take a few more for me to end this properly, so I am no longer making forecasts as to when this series is going to be over, because I just make a liar out of myself (I know that makes little or no sense). Ok, well, on with the chapter.  
  
Formalities: Nothing's changed, still don't own Gundam Wing **SOB**  
  
  
Finale, Part I  
  
  
  
The chilly air of the underground tunnels assaulted Relena's bare arms despite the smothering crowds running along side her. She pulled her arms in, closing them protectively around her stomach in an equal effort to warm them and also defend her swollen midsection against the other bodies smashing into her as they all sought protection in Lowen's ancient catacombs. The White Fang's mobile suits had descended upon the funeral of the beloved old General Hydek, and were presently destroying the castle grounds. 'Heero, please be all right...' Relena prayed silently. She hadn't caught sight of her husband before Duo had found her and shoved her into one of the tunnel entrances along with Hilde, Quatre's wife Luna, and all their children, not to mention hundreds of terrified Lowenites.   
  
"It's the safest place for you to be!" Duo bellowed as Hilde protested, even though he had long since overpowered her, pushing her towards the stone entrance.   
  
"But what about you?" Hilde cried, looking painfully grief-stricken as Relena searched through the havoc for any sign of Heero.  
  
"Listen to me!" Duo demanded, placing his hands on her shoulders. "These tunnels are like fall-out shelters, and I need you to protect the boys." He looked down at the ground for a moment, but then met her eyes. "Hilde, you know what I have to do."  
  
"I know," she answered quietly, hastily planting a kiss on his cheek before she turned into the darkness.  
  
"I'll tell Heero where you are," Duo yelled, squeezing Relena's hand before she disappeared into the tunnel as well. The last thing she heard was an explosion resounding in the courtyard. Through tears, she fought the urge to look back.  
  
Squinting through the darkness, Relena could see Hilde running directly ahead of her, holding tightly to her twin boys in order to keep them from being swept away by the frantic throngs of people around them.   
  
"Relena!" Hilde beckoned, making an attempt to glance over her shoulder. "Can you make it? Are you ok?"   
  
Relena's reply came in gasps, as she was nearly out of breath. "Yes," she yelled, hoping that Hilde could hear her. "But go on, get the boys someplace safe," she huffed, "I'll be right behind you." Her friend turned around and nodded in acknowledgement, but in a few minutes time, Relena fell behind and could no longer see them. It was evident that she couldn't run anymore, so she slowed to a walk and fought her way through the frightened masses to rest against one of the damp, slippery stone walls. Nearly doubled over and breathless, Relena abruptly stood up straight, alarmed, only to be hunched over in pain once again just seconds later as a sharp pang stabbed at her abdomen. "No, no - please not now," she pleaded as the discomfort radiated to her back and legs. All the doctor's visits and childbirth books couldn't have prepared her for what was happening now. Quite suddenly it seemed as if she had never been so alone in all her life. The last wave of fleeing citizens were a good distance ahead of her now, and so she was left in the solitude and blackness of the Lowen underground. When the pain in her back subsided, Relena once again straightened herself and trudged on, her senses searching for a hint of light or sound to guide her. She found none. She walked on, blindly groping her way along the slimy, cold tunnel walls. The minutes dragged on like years, until the monotony was broken by another shooting pain. Relena cried out, her own scream echoing through the cavern. The baby was coming - she had to find help.  
  
  
  
  
"Relena!" Heero watched the panicked crowds scattering around the courtyard as the intruding mobile suits cast long shadows over the grass and trees. They seemed to block out the very sun. Heero stood frozen as the chaos ensued around him. "RELENAAAA!" No sign of her. "Relena!" He had to find her - he would not let her be taken away from him - not again. And the baby... she was so close... He darted around Grecian pillars of the crypt, heading towards the place he had last seen her when an explosion rang through the grounds.  
  
"Get down, buddy!" A familiar voice screamed from behind him not moments before he felt a body collide with his own, knocking the wind out of him as he hit the ground. A breeze of sorts ruffled his hair as he realized that a huge chunk of metal had just flown directly overhead - and would have killed him had he been standing up. Heero quickly caught his breath and sat up to face the person who had just saved his life. Duo.  
  
"Close one, eh?" Duo asked, rubbing the back of his head. Small shards of metal from the explosion had grazed the backs of his hands and his forehead and droplets of blood formed at the site of the wounds, but Duo didn't seem to notice them. Heero swiped at his own forehead, a streak of bright crimson appearing on his white jacket sleeve. Just a cut above his eye - it was nothing, really. But Heero didn't take the time to acknowledge the wound or even thank his friend.  
  
"I have to find Relena," he said, his jaw set in determination.  
  
"In the tunnels," Duo replied, "With Hilde and Luna. I made sure they got in there right away."  
  
Heero nodded and picked himself up from the ground, reluctantly deciding that he would just have to accept that for now, since there were rather pressing matters here in the courtyard which required his attention. Another explosion shook the ground, and nearly made both men fall again. Heero and Duo took off running in the direction of the noise, only to see that Zechs had already gotten to the Talgeese and was involved in a heated battle with three of the enemy mobile suits. The remaining unengaged suits, there appeared to be a dozen altogether, were busy thoroughly laying waste to Lowen City. Heero watched as one of the massive Aries fired a shot, sending the cathedral tower crashing into the street. Smoke and flame engulfed the homes below, and the vista before him stirred up memories of the battle-laden days of AC 195. Duo must have been thinking the same thing, because he looked over at Heero, wordlessly telling him where they needed to be. "Right," Heero answered, and they ran for the hanger - for Zero and Deathscythe.  
  
  
  
"Miss Noin and Sally have gone to the tunnels to make sure that Luna, Relena, Hilde and the children are alright," Quatre said as he met his fellow pilots in the underground hanger behind the palace. He watched his monitor as his four comrades acknowledged the news, and began the ascent to the surface to fight. "Well, Sandrock," Quatre whispered in the cockpit, "It seems you were needed again afterall."  
  
  
  
  
"You call yourself a soldier!" Wufei raged, slicing the arm off of the Aries that was opposing him, making sure to send the debris flying away from the group of terrified citizens cowering below the two massive machines. "There is no honor in making war against women and children," he spat at the other pilot, who was desperately losing the fight with Nataku.  
  
"Earth had no problem using the colonies as their slave labor," the other pilot seethed back. "Tell me, where is the honor in that?"  
  
"You are only a slave if you see yourself as one. Quinze has blinded you. HE is the one who has made you a slave," Wufei said, landing another devastating blow to his enemy. Standing triumphantly over the broken suit, the Chinaman commanded in a low and steady voice, "Leave your suit now and I will spare your life." The opposing suit ceased to move, and Wufei could see the pilot lowering himself from the cockpit and running for cover. "Weak..." he smirked.  
  
"How are you doing, Trowa?" Quatre's voice rang clearly over the com system.   
  
"I've destroyed two suits - the pilots are alive and I'm holding them right now. Send the guard in on foot to take care of them." Trowa looked down to the two men he had cornered against a wall with the massive arsenal of Heavy Arms trained on them. They were wide-eyed and trembling.  
  
Duo's scythe cut through the torso of the Aries across from him. "It's been a while," the pilot said aloud to himself, "but you and I never forget, do we old buddy?" he smiled, patting the control panel affectionately.  
  
"Duo, have all the suits been destroyed on your end?" Heero's image appeared on monitor before him.  
  
"Mmmm, just about..." Duo said, landing a final blow to the condemned enemy. The decimated suit's pilot came running out, hitting the ground as the machine exploded.  
"Make that an affirmative," Duo smiled into the screen.  
  
"Which entrance did the girls use?" Heero asked, bringing Zero to halt next to his friend.   
  
"The south one, by the crypt," Duo answered. "We need to get in there, hopefully the enemy hasn't infiltrated those tunnels."  
  
"That's what I'm afraid of," Heero spoke up. "There's access points to them all over the city."  
  
"Then let's go," Quatre said, joining the group with Trowa and Wufei.   
  
"Quatre and I will take the west entrance across the field," Trowa offered as Heero and Duo ran off towards the south.  
  
"I'll go east," Wufei shouted back.   
  
The northern entrance was the one located in the palace basement, and it had been sealed up after Relena's abduction. The safety of his wife and unborn child was foremost in his mind as Heero found himself immersed in the darkness of the Lowen tunnels.  
  
  
  
  
"Just a little farther," Relena told herself. Her progress had slowed considerably since the pains had become increasingly frequent as time wore on, but finally she heard the hushed voices of others echoing through the tunnels and she knew she had to be close. Edging herself along the tunnel walls, she stopped as she heard footsteps approaching, and voices drawing nearer. From a distance, she could make out what they were saying.  
  
"...battle on the grounds above as a distraction while we seize their palace right out from under them." Laughter echoed after that statement and Relena held her breath as she recognized the mocking voice of the man whom had kidnapped all those months ago. She flattened herself against the wall as much as she possibly could. It was dark down here. Very dark. Maybe they would just pass by and not see her. She could hear them getting closer and closer as another contraction enveloped her midsection and she bit her lip to stifle the scream. It was no good. Against her will, a cry forced its way from her throat.  
  
"What was that?" She heard one of them ask, and the rest grumble accordingly. Before she could even straighten herself up, a bright light was shining in her eyes and she could feel two sets of hands forcefully grabbing at her.  
  
"So, Lady Relena - we meet again?" A wry grin crossed Marius Kahn's face. What a gift he would have for Quinze.  
  
  
  
  
"Where IS everybody?" Duo asked for about the tenth time since he and Heero had plunged into the dankness of the underground. Heero made no reply, but just kept walking, eyes straining through the darkness for some clue as to where his wife might be. It wasn't long before they came to a fork in the tunnel. "You go left, I'll go right?" Duo shrugged. Again Heero said nothing, but headed for the left.  
  
Duo walked slowly, trying not to slide on the wet tunnel floors. Annoyed that his progress was so impeded, he broke into a run and after about ten minutes, he nearly crash-landed into a crowd of people gathered in a large open space and the end of the tunnel. Torches lined the walls, casting and eerie glow on the faces around him. Duo was momentarily startled, but once he got his bearings, he felt three pairs of arms wrap around him. "Duo!" Hilde exclaimed, happy to see her husband, but Duo recognized the worried look on her face. He looked down for a moment, seeing that his boys were safe (and glued to his legs), he pressed his wife for what was wrong.  
  
"Hilde, what is it?"  
  
"Please! Please tell me that you've seen Relena!"  
  
"No! She's not with you?"  
  
"She was... I mean, we were running, and she was behind us - and when I looked back again she was gone! I haven't seen her since. Oh, God, where is she? Sally and Noin have gone out looking, but they aren't back yet!"  
  
"Calm down, we'll find her," Duo said assuredly, steadying his frantic wife. "Maybe Heero's found her already."  
  
  
  
  
He could hear them. And they had her - damn them! How could he have let this happen again? "She stopped again," one of them said dryly, sounding very annoyed.  
  
"We'll never get there at this rate," Kahn spat through his teeth. "Give her to me."  
  
"Don't touch me," Relena yelled defiantly, clutching her belly as another contraction nearly brought her to her knees.  
  
"You want to have that baby here in the tunnel?" Marius taunted, roughly grabbing one of her arms. Heero had heard about all he could take.  
  
"Get away from her," he said in his classically stoic voice, stepping into the middle of the tunnel passageway.  
  
"Heero?" Relena gasped.  
  
"Your Highness," Marius said smoothly, giving a mock bow. "So, you've finally decided to grace us with your presence. Oh, what - do we have something that belongs to you?"  
  
"You do," Heero replied, clenching and unclenching his fists at his side.  
  
"Well then, " Kahn smiled, gesturing to his troop of a half dozen men. "Come and get her."  
  
He fought them off as best he could, but six to one turned out to be impossible odds. For every punch or kick he launched, Heero received two in return. He heard the unmistakable breaking of bones as one of the enemy soldiers landed a blow to his ribs. Another grabbed him and threw him into the wall. Heero could taste the blood in his mouth as he turned around, ready to defend himself. He threw himself into one of the aggressors, hearing the man's skull crack as he landed with a dull thud on the floor. Still he was surrounded, and the remaining soldiers were only angrier at the sight of their fallen comrade. Two of the men lunged at him, finally pinning him between them. Heero used them as leverage and jumped up, kicking the man who was advancing on him from the front squarely in the face. But two others remained and they began to pummel him with blows as their fellow soldiers held him fast. They dragged him over to Marius Kahn holding him between them, bloodied and barely conscious. Relena moved towards her husband, seeking to comfort him, but Kahn held her back. Smirking at the injured man, he thought, 'Yet another gift for Quinze.'  
  
End Chapter 8  
  
  
Well, I hope that chapter was worth the wait. Again, I'm not sure how much longer this will go on, so thank you all for sticking with me here. Suggestions and comments are always welcome (and so appreciated - cursed writer's block *grumbles*). Love to all, Stella  
  
  
  



	9. A Day of Surprises

Ok, trying this again!  
  
Yes, it's about darn time. Now for my usual apology: I'M SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG! The writer's block was unbelievable, but I finally managed to do something with this story *falls over from the shock*. I hope it was worth the wait!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing. There. I said it! :p  
  
  
  
Chapter 9  
A Day of Surprises  
  
  
  
  
"Put them over there - and get Stark down here for God's sake, unless one of you wants to deliver that baby," he spat, annoyance seething through his words.  
  
"Sir!" After a quick salute, Marius Kahn's officers set out in search of Quinze's elderly physician, but not before casting a look of extreme distaste in Relena's direction - how dare she decide to have her baby now and distract them from the glory that lie ahead; the new age that Quinze and Marius had promised them, where the powers of the earth would be decimated and control would lie with the space colonies, where it belonged.  
  
Relena sunk down to the cold marble floor of Lowen Palace's Great Hall, wearily resting a hand on her stomach while trying to catch her breath. The contractions were coming at regular intervals, the time between growing alarmingly short. She mentally fought against yet another wave of panic threatening to overtake her: What were these men going to do to them, to her husband, to her kingdom... to her baby? Her only comforts lay in the fact that her brother and the others had not been captured - and that Heero was here with her and safe, at least for the time being.  
  
The world had seemed to take on a fuzzy quality as Heero squinted, trying to focus on his surroundings. His whole body ached, and he struggled to sit up, gaining no compliance from his limbs. He could feel Relena's hand holding his own, and he gave a slight squeeze to let her know that he was awake. She all but jumped, and slowly slid closer to lean down and talk to him.  
  
"Heero," she whispered, close to tears, "Are you alri-...?"  
  
"Yes," he lied, trying to ignore the pain coming from what he was sure were fractured ribs. "You?" he asked quietly, gritting his teeth as the determination to see their child born safely took hold. A few subtle movements, and he was on his feet - no amount of pain would stop him. Whatever Quinze and Kahn were planning, there was no way he was going to let it happen.  
  
"Up and about already?" A raspy voice questioned from the shadows. Heero whirled around, standing protectively over Relena. He hobbled into the light, this twisted remnant of a man, scarred and broken, but Heero recognized him.  
  
"Quinze."  
  
"Moved up in the world since the last time we met, have you?" the older man taunted. "Betraying the colonies to protect the earth wasn't enough - you had to align yourself with the powers that oppress them, and become one of them."  
  
"You're living in the past, Quinze," Heero growled through his teeth. "This is all meaningless - all the people of the earth and the colonies want is to just live in peace."  
  
Quinze shifted his singular eye to Relena. "Turned him into a pacifist, too?" he smirked. "And now you've begotten a little pacifist brat to carry on the line," he chuckled to himself, still staring at Relena in a way that made Heero even more uneasy. Quinze wasted no time and pulled a gun from his belt. "I hear childbirth is unbelievably painful. Would you like me to save you the trouble, Lady Relena?"  
  
Relena stiffened and stared at him defiantly as Heero placed himself between her and Quinze. At that moment, one of the doors burst open and Marius Kahn entered with Dr. Stark in tow. "I see you've found my offerings, Quinze," Marius smirked, stopping alongside the hunched older man as Stark made his way towards Relena. Quinze lowered his gun and looked to his younger officer.  
  
"Is everything in place?"  
  
"Yes, sir. And they seemed to have abandoned the gundams, though they took out all the Aries suits we had at this site."  
  
"No matter. When communications are severed between the earth and the colonies, and we've moved on to attack Brussels and Luxembourg, a few suits won't matter when we have control of the gundams. Finally Operation Meteor will be carried out as it was meant to be."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by a wild eyed Dr. Stark. "This woman MUST be taken to a more comfortable room, she'll be giving birth within the hour."  
  
"She stays here," Quinze said firmly. "I haven't decided whether or not to shoot her."  
  
"You're a monster," Stark hissed, "and it has nothing to do with those scars on your face."  
  
His words were answered by a swift blow from Marius Kahn. "You'll do well not to overstep your bounds, doctor, or you may find yourself past all medical help as well. She stays here."  
  
  
  
  
"He's going in first," Duo whispered, casting a glance at Zechs as he descended the stairway from the mezzanine, leading towards the main level of the Great Hall.   
  
"Sally, you're going to cover him from up here," Quatre said in a barely audible tone. "The rest of us will each take an entrance to the Hall and wait for his signal." Sally nodded in affirmation as the rest of the former pilots stealthily headed towards their targets. Keeping her eyes on the scene unfolding below, she couldn't help but wonder about where Lucrezia Noin had gotten to. They had split up in the catacombs while searching for Relena, but Noin hadn't appeared at their rendezvous point where she had met up with Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wufei and Zechs. She was drawn out of her thoughts by the sound of a gunshot and a scream. The doctor had fallen, and Relena knelt at his side. It was too late - he was gone.  
  
  
  
"We told you Stark," Quinze mused standing over the kindly old man's lifeless body, "She stays here."  
  
  
  
"That's right," a familiar voice echoed through the hall. "You'll be the ones who are leaving!"  
  
The voice caught them by surprise. "Zechs Merquise - or should I call you Milliardo Peacecraft," Kahn said lowly, turning to acknowledge the tall blonde figure who had just entered the room and was aiming a pistol in their direction. "I was wondering when you would finally be joining us."  
  
Zechs looked past Kahn and fixed his gaze directly on Quinze. "Your problem is with me, Quinze. Leave my sister out of this."  
  
Quinze motioned for the dozen or so soldiers flanking the walls to surround Zechs as he hobbled towards his former ally. "You see, I simply can't do that. She is the reason you all betrayed us in the first place. She can't be allowed to corrupt further generations."  
  
"She corrupted no one! You failed because your ideals were misguided- in all this time have you not seen the error of your ways?" Zechs pressed, never lowering his gun despite the fact that he was outnumbered and completely surrounded. Heero's eyes searched the room expertly. He saw them, his friends at the corridors. A plan was already in place.  
  
"This is war. Mistakes are subjective, wouldn't you agree?" Quinze asked, his raspy voice lilting as his remaining eye sparkled with delight.  
  
"Gentlemen," Quinze said, addressing his men. "My trump card, if you would."  
  
A pair of soldiers entered from one of the corridors carrying Noin between them. It didn't appear as though she were injurred, but she seemed to be barely conscious. Zechs' brow furrowed in concern and frustration as Quinze addressed him further. "I suggest you come quietly - you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to Miss Noin in her delicate condition, would you?" Noin raised her head, sure that she had heard Zechs' voice. Quinze sidled up before her, cupping her chin in his good hand. "What is it with you people, thinking the world needs more little versions of yourselves? Why, Miss Noin, did you feel the need to create another little Milliardo? Hmmm, Miss Noin? Or should I be calling you Mrs. Peacecraft? When were you going to spread the happy news?" Quinze taunted further.  
  
Duo let his jaw drop, momentarily distracted from the task of knocking a guard unconscious as quietly as possible. "Well, I'll be damned," he said to himself.  
  
Relena looked up in surprise, tears still flowing across her cheeks for the murdered Dr. Stark. "Milliardo?" She whispered. Heero, kneeling beside his wife, glanced up as well, not believing what he was hearing. But guaging from Zechs' reaction, it was true.  
  
Zechs was unable to conceal the look of shock that crossed his face as he lowered his weapon, the expression on his face asking how Quinze could possibly know.  
  
"I have my sources," Quinze said, obviously very satisfied with himself. Zechs glanced around the room, checking to see that everyone had made it to their positions. He was just about to raise his arm to signal the others when the resounding click of a gun being cocked echoed through the vastness of the Hall.  
  
This time it was Marius Kahn who stepped forward, a smirk overtaking his features. "Oh, it is a day for surprises, isn't it?" he stated in mocking glee. "Well, I have one more to add."  
  
Heero held onto Relena as they both watched Marius make his way towards Quinze, training the gun on the rebellion's leader. Watching Marius warily, Heero also noticed the unsuspecting guard standing near him. With everyone in the room concentrating on Kahn, Heero silently removed his protective arms from around Relena's waist and surprised the soldier from behind. The uniformed man quietly slumped to the ground, unconscious, as Heero helped himself to the man's rifle. The process of the deciding how to advance now that he was armed stopped as his attention was caught by the sound of Quinze's worried voice.   
  
"Kahn, what is the meaning of this," Quinze stammered, his features twisting even more grotesquely as he regarded the young officer.  
  
"Quinze... Quinze... I'm afraid you've outlived your usefulness, old man. You were merely a means to an end."  
  
"Marius, what do you-?"  
  
"I thank you," Kahn said, giving a short bow, "but I'm afraid that I don't need you getting in the way of what is rightfully mine."  
  
Quinze, unable to speak, looked silently to Kahn for an explanation.  
  
"Didn't Dekim ever tell you that he had another son?" Marius asked impatiently, waiting for Quinze to piece it together. "This new world belongs to the Barton family, as it should have eight years ago. My brother Trowa, murdered - his name stolen. My niece Mariemaia thwarted and my grandfather cut down. It's time now - to avenge them all. I am Marius Barton; this new world will be mine. And there is no place for you." Without another word Marius pulled the trigger. The blast rang out and a spray of crimson splattered against the white stone wall and Quinze slumped to the floor, his one eye staring blankly upwards as the life flowed out of him.  
  
Marius turned around to address the other occupants of the room and raised his gun again, this time at Zechs. "And now, Milliardo Peacecraft, you will join him."  
  
"Not today, buddy," Duo Maxwell shouted, aiming his own gun right at Marius while the others herded the remaining (and completely baffled) enemy soldiers against the wall, Quatre helping the still barely conscious Noin to a chair.  
  
"I should have known - you do stick together, don't you?" their enemy spat, bristling and shouting as his eyes darted around the room, stopping briefly at each gun pointed in his direction. "But there's one in particular I want! Where is he? You're not him! Trowa! Where is the man who took my brother's name? Coward?! Where are you?"  
  
"I'm here," Trowa calmly stated, walking forward.  
  
"Drop your gun!" Duo warned Marius as he watched Trowa step closer to the crazed young man.  
  
Trowa never diverted his gaze from the man who sought him. Marius stared in like kind.  
  
"All these years I've waited - some small part of me hoping that Trowa was still alive. And then, then I knew it couldn't be true," Marius stated pathetically, trying to ward off the feeling that he was defeated, he continued. "That day when you first came to Lowen, after I'd come to the earth to find you. I knew all along. Trowa would have never betrayed Dekim's vision. Trowa would have never come to live on the filthy earth!" Marius cried out, the emotion choking him. "And then I saw you. You gundam pilots," he said desperately, weakly gesturing around the room. "I joined the Preventers, looking for a way to strike out against you. Then Quinze conveniently came along. TRAITORS! You all deserve to die." Marius crumpled to the floor, weeping for his lost vision, his lost family. "Do you know what it means to have a family?" he cried as the others watched him, bewildered. "Do you?" His gun skittered across the smooth marble floor as he collapsed. Trowa approached the man, and knelt down beside him in abject pity. Marius became still, and eventually quiet. Having made no movement for quite some time, he was able to catch Trowa by surprise when he lept up from the floor, knife in hand. "I'll see you dead if it's the last thing I..."  
  
The bullet stopped him midsentence, and Wufei Chang emerged from the shadows and lowered his gun, stepping towards the mortally wounded man. "This is the last thing you will do. I know what it is to have a family," Wufei said. "These people here are my family. And you will not harm them."  
  
The knife slipped from Marius' grasp as he fell to the floor clutching his side. He tried to speak, but could only produce a fainst gurgling noise as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He felt the cold stone beneath him, and finally surrendered to the urge to close his eyes. The last of Dekim's sons drew a final deep breath and departed this world.  
  
The stillness lasted for but a moment. A cry rang out from the opposite side of the Hall, breaking the air of silence and shock. Sally rushed down from the mezzanine and headed straight for Relena, who was resting in Heero's arms.  
  
"Sally..." Relena gasped, "I can't... the baby..."  
  
"Is coming - NOW!" Sally yelled, looking at the men surrounding her. "Heero, hold onto her - keep her as comfortable as you can. Quatre, Duo - towels and water, GO!" Sally looked around for the next person to bark orders at, finding Zechs attending to Noin, and Trowa was moving the dead bodies out of the hall, the only one left was, "Wufei! Come here! I need you to be ready with SOMETHING... here, your shirt!" Wufei removed his shirt and knelt down beside Sally.  
  
"Ok, Relena, you need to push. Heero, hold her hand and help us count to ten." They counted slowly as Relena struggled to bring her child into the world. After reaching ten, Sally instructed Relena to take a deep breath and get ready to push again. Time passed slowly as Relena's cries resonated through the Great Hall. "One more time, Relena, you can do it!" Heero held on to his wife as she put forth the last bit of effort. "Wufei, are you ready? Wufei?" Sally looked over her shoulder only to see all the color draining from Wufei's face as he watched the delivery. The young doctor turned back to her patient, but out of the corner of her eye she saw the great Wufei Chang topple over backwards, out cold. Looking around frantically, all Sally could do was yell. "Now is NOT the time to faint! Wufei!"  
  
"The calvery is here!" Duo shouted, racing into the room with an armful of towels, Quatre on his heels with even more supplies.   
  
"Here we go! Last push!" Sally said joyfully, lifting the newborn up. "Relena, Heero - meet your daughter!" Relena, as exhausted as she was, reached out with both arms towards the tiny child as Sally helped to clear the baby's airway. A lusty wail soon filled the hall, and the healthy little girl was washed, wrapped in a blanket, and placed in her mother's waiting arms.  
  
"Hello, little one," Relena smiled as a pair of miniature blue eyes stared back at her. She looked up at Heero, who was gazing with wonder at little person before him. A tiny hand reached out and grasped his finger, and he bent down and planted a kiss on his daughter's forehead.  
  
"I will always protect you," he whispered.   
  
"And so will we," Trowa offered, with Duo, Quatre and a somewhat groggy Wufei nodding in agreement. "And so will we."  
  
  
END  
  
  
Ok, everybody all together now: AWWWWWWW... There will eventually be an epilogue, but now I feel like I can start my other fic with a clear conscience. My love and thanks to everyone who stuck with me here and kept reading... and reviewing. THANK YOU THANK YOU! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Hugs! Stella  
  
  
  
  



End file.
